Lubricating composition and modified addition agents for the same



UNITED STATES PATENT? ene LUBRICATING comosrrron m MODI- rmn annrrron AGENTS'FOR 'rnn same Maurice H. Arveson, FlossmoonIlL, assignor to Standard Oil Company, Chicago, 111., a. comration of Indiana No Drawing.. Application October 26, 1940, I Serial No. 363,018

16 Claims.

The present invention relates to lubricating oils containing addition agents for use in automotive engines and to methods for modifying certain addition agents so that theirundesirable q'ua1i-.- ties may be removed, thereby gaining the full benefit of the desirable rualities.

An object of the present invention is to improve the properties of the oilsby modifying the addition agents either before addition to the lubricant or in situ. n

More particularly the present invention relates to such addition agents as phosphatides and.

' to oils improves the quality thereof by preventing ring sticking and by acting as detergents and antioxidants. It has been found, however, that while certain qualities of the lubricant are improved by these addition agents, certain other undesirable properties appear. In the case of the phosphatides it has been found that early sludge is often formed and that certain metal alloy bearing surfaces are corroded, particularly leadcontaining bearings. These adverse effects are believed to be caused not only by the acidic properties of the phosphatides or the fatty oils occurring in the commercial mixtures of the phosthe elements and groupspf elements in the compound, but are' also caused by the presence of double. bonds which-occur in the phosphatides as well as the commercial mixtures of thesame.

' The presence of double-bonds in a compound rapidly leads to the development of acidic properties in the compound on oxidation. It is evident, therefore, that the-hydrogenation of phosphatides and the subsequent neutralization thereof 'produces a product which is particularly suitable for use as an addition agent in lubricating/oils. The

. neutralization may be carried out by various neuphatides, but also by the unsaturation of the phosphatides and the commercial mixtures thereof.

In order to overcome the above-mentioned undesirable effects of the phosphatides they may be hydrogenated and then neutralized.. Afterhaving treated the phosphatides in this manner they are better suited for use as addition agents to lubricating oils.

The exact nature of the reactions involved in both the hydrogenation and neutralization steps is not clear. The fact that the unmodified phosphatides cause corrosion of various metal alloy bearing surfaces and tend to form early sludge is probably due to the fact that the phosphatides exhibit acidic properties. These acidic properties are not only caused by the nature and position of 55 ,tralizing agents such as ammonia orzby the use of amines including both the alkyl and alkylolamines and aromatic amines such as pyridine,

quinoline and their derivatives. It is believed that the ammonium, or amine salts of I the commercial phosphatides are formed. Theamount of organic base used in the neutralization maybe varied from 50% to 100%, or even an excess of of the phosphatide may'be 'used.

organic base, ranging up to 200% of the acidity The hydrogenation of the phosphatides may be carried out by any well-known processes provided the conditions are not so severe as to affect adversely the phosphatides by decomposing them.

It is preferred, however, to carry out the hydro genati'on by the relatively low temperature, fat

hydrogenation technique using, for example, I nickel formate as catalyst. Several methods for v hydrogenating commercial phosphatides are described in Chemie und Technologie de Fette und Fett Produkte. Hefter-Schonfeld, 2nd edition,' vol. 1, page 508. An additional method isalso described in Jour. Agr. Chem. Soc., Japan, vol. 9, pp. 728 to 732. (Reviewed in Chemical Abstracts, vol. 27, p. 5563.) Obviously; the hydrogenation step will not only saturatethe phosphatides per se but also the free fats andfatty acids which accompany the phosphatides in the commercial mixtures.

In order to facilitate handling of the phosphatlde during the hydrogenation and the neutralization step it is sometimes desirable to dilute the phosphatidic material with mineral oil, preferably in the proportion of, 1 part material to 1 part or more. of mineral-oil.

.The phosphatides are neutralized simply'by I mixing them with one of the aforementioned neutralizing agents for, several hours either at room temperature or at temperaturesfrom 80? F. to about 300 If desired, the. phosphatide or neutralizing agentmay be added to the oil first and then theother'added so'the reaction will take place in situ.

organic base such as pyridine, pyridine derivatives, the tetra alkyl ammonium hydroxides, hy-

droxylamines, primary, secondary and tertiaryamines or the amines prepared from various oils such as cocoanut oil. The amines may have. the following general formulae RANCH, RzN, RzNH, RNHz, (OI-IR) 3N, R'NHR, or RNB: wherein R and R represents an alkyl, alkylene, aryl or aralkyl radical.

Specifically (CH11)4NOH, (CH3)3N, (C4H9)3N. (CsHs) 3N, (C2H5) zNH, (CsHr) zNH, (CsHe) NHz, CraHsJNHa, CsHsNI-Iz, (OHC2H4) 3N, and CsH5N(CH3)2 have been found to be satisfactory;

After the phosphatidic material has been hydrogenated and subsequently neutralized, a small quantity, preferably from about 0.01% to about 5% is added to the oil, with the result that the oxidation stability and the detergent properties of theoil are improved, at least to the same extent as when unmodified phosphatide is added to the oil, but with'the additional advantage that no corrosion of the metal alloy bearing surfaces occurs, 'and early sludge formation is minimized. Furthermore, the antioxidant effect is improved.

Although the foregoing description has referred primarily to lubricating -oils, other lubricants, such as grease, derive the same benefits from the modified phosphatides and are therefore contemplated in the present invention.

Furthermore, it is possible and sometimes advantageous to add other well-known addition agents, for example, sulfur-type inhibitors such as sulfurized olefin polymers, organic phosphites;

etc., to the oil.

I claim:

1. An addition agent for lubricants comprising the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an organic amine at temperatures below about 300 F.

2. An addition agent for lubricants comprising the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an alkyl amine at temperatures below about 300 F.

3. An addition agent for lubricants comprising the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an aromatic amine at temperatures below about 300 F.

4. An addition agent for-lubricants comprising the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an alkylolamine at temperatures below about 300 F.

5. An addition agent for lubricants as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hydrogenated phosphatidic material comprises hydrogenated lecithin and hydrogenated cephalin.

6. An addition agent for lubricants as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hydrogenated phosphatidic material comprises hydrogenated lecithin.

7. An addition agent for lubricants as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hydrogenated phosphatidic material comprises hydrogenated cephalin.

8. A lubricant comprising a lubricating oil and the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an organic amine at temperatures below about 300 F.

9. A lubricant comprising a lubricating oil and the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an alkyl amine 'at temperatures below about 300 F.

10. A lubricant comprising a lubricating oil and the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an aromatic amine at temperatures below about 300 F.

11. A lubricant comprising a lubricating oil and the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an alkylolamine at tempera-' tures below about 300 F.

12. A lubricant comprising a. lubricating oil and from about 0.01% to about 5% of the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an organic amine at temperatures below about 300 F.

13. An addition agent for lubricants comprising the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an organic amine at temperatures within the approximate range of F. to 300 F.

14. An addition agent for lubricants comprising the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an alkyl amine at temperatures within the approximate range of 80 F. to 300 F.

15. An addition agent for lubricants comprising the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an aromatic amine at temperatures within the approximate range of 80 F. to 300 F.

16. An addition agent for lubricants comprising the reaction product of a hydrogenated phosphatidic material and an alkylolamine at temperatures within the approximate range of 80 F. to 300 F.

' MAURICE H. ARVESON. 

